German Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized Europe’s openness to dialogue with Russia, but stressed that Moscow currently shows no willingness for substantive negotiations to end the war against Ukraine.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Germany’s and the EU’s Position on the Negotiation Process
According to Merz, Russia must first demonstrate a genuine desire to engage in talks about a ceasefire, and then discuss the elements of a potential peace settlement. However, there have been no serious confirmations of this so far.
“There was someone from the European Union, Prime Minister Orban, who went to Moscow on his own. That was almost two years ago. He had no mandate, went there, and achieved nothing, and the following week we saw the most powerful attacks on civilian infrastructure, private homes, and hospitals that we had ever seen up to that point. If there is a reason to talk, we are ready to talk. But, as you can see from the American side, Russia is not yet ready for serious negotiations,” he stated.
Merz also emphasized that the end of the war is only possible with significant exhaustion of Russia—economically or even militarily. “We are approaching that moment, but we are not there yet,” the Chancellor noted.
Diplomatic Efforts by European Leaders and Russia’s Reaction
He highlighted that the war has lasted longer than World War II, and it is Russia that has the opportunity to stop it. At the same time, according to Merz, it depends on Western partners—America, Europe, and Ukraine—to bring the situation to a point where this becomes possible. “We must do everything in our power to make this happen—militarily, economically, politically, diplomatically, by any means,” Merz stressed.
In December of last year, French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized the need to restore direct dialogue with Vladimir Putin if American mediation efforts for a peaceful settlement do not succeed. Last week, Macron’s diplomatic advisor held talks with Russian President’s assistant Yuri Ushakov in Moscow, discussing key issues regarding Ukraine.
In an interview with the German publication Süddeutsche Zeitung, Macron stated that he urged other European leaders to join the initiative for direct contacts with the Russian side. He argued that a new phase in the war has begun, which involves the possibility of peace negotiations.
European leaders, concerned about Putin’s military policy, are outraged by being excluded from the negotiation process currently led by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Analysts from the Institute for the Study of War also remind us that at the end of last year, Vladimir Putin publicly reaffirmed his commitment to maximalist goals regarding Ukraine—the same ones that initiated the full-scale invasion in 2022. ISW reports indicate that the Kremlin has repeatedly rejected peace initiatives from the U.S. and Ukraine, shifting the responsibility for the lack of progress onto the Ukrainian side.